Association Between Administration of IL-6 Antagonists and Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19

Abstract

Excessive systemic inflammation and raised IL-6 levels resulting from dysregulated host immune responses^1-3 are associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.⁴ This led to the design of several randomized clinical trials assessing the efficacy of IL-6 antagonists in patients with COVID-19. The IL-6 antagonists commonly investigated were monoclonal antibodies that bind either to membrane-bound and soluble IL-6 receptors (eg, tocilizumab and sarilumab) or directly to IL-6 (eg, siltuximab).⁵